With so much else going on in the world, the impact of Brexit and the changes that come into force as a consequence, have not been as well-publicized as they might have been. There are some very significant changes that were introduced from 1 January 2021 and foreign nationals living in the UK, businesses, employers and anyone travelling to or from the UK need to be aware of changes that could affect them.
Here are some of the key changes in summary:
European travel
UK nationals will only be able to travel to countries in the Schengen area for a period of up to 90 days (in any 180-day period) unless they have a visa. In 2022, an ETIAS system will come into place and UK nationals will be required to apply for this online travel authorization (similar to the ESTA for travel to the US). You must also have at least six months left on your passport for travelling to anywhere in the Schengen area. UK nationals will have a different lane at border control from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens.
The new UK immigration system
A new points-based system came into force from 1 January to determine who is allowed to live in the UK. Foreign citizens will need to apply for a visa to work, live or study in the UK, which will cost applicants a considerable amount of money (£348 for students and up to £1,408 for skilled workers). They will also need to pay a health surcharge of £624 each year.
EU, EEA or Swiss citizens who were already living in the UK prior to January 1 2021 need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to enable them to remain living in the UK after 30 June 2021.
Customs declarations
Businesses who import or export products will be required to complete more paperwork as part of the requirements for customs declarations. Some products will require a special licence and certificate or may need to be labelled in a certain way.
Moving to the EU
UK citizens are no longer automatically allowed to live, work or study in the EU. You will need to check the requirements for the specific country you want to move to and apply for the relevant visa. There may be certain criteria you must meet in order to be granted residency, such as being in employment.
Employing EU nationals
From 30 June 2021, EU citizens will need to show they have a job offer from an approved employer sponsor to enable them to apply for a skilled worker visa. So, employers who employ EU citizens will need to have a sponsor licence in place.
This is just a high level of summary of some of the key changes but if you require any help with immigration law details and sponsor licence applications, contact Emerald Law for expert advice.